WE CANNOT BEAT THEM ON THEIR OWN TERMS

With globalism, the world stronger economies have imposed on us useless wars, sophisticated models of slavery, and we have let them do that to us. There is nothing as disheartening as seeing how Congolese expect their nation to be saved and built by anonymous foreign powers under the disguise of the name "International Community". This same international community tells us that its aim is democracy, but we know that theirs is a constant battle for markets, for resources, for our resources, denying us a future. As David Chiweza of Zimbabwe puts it: "we cannot beat them on their own rules". We have to find our own tactics, ever mindful of how much they have and can still hurt us. Only our determination can lead us to overcome so many forces, attacking the continent on so many fronts. While in the 60s, there was a revival that has been fueled by great minds of what in school we were taught as "littérature negro-africaine" with its proud figures such as Aimé Césaire following in the footsteps of W. Bughaert du Bois, today we have no such voices. We only have the voices of those who sing to the tune of the new colonialist gang. If anything, that is the reason why I do support what M23 is trying to do, even though I'd prefer that its protest does not involve having recourse to war. But is there any other choice when the war is being imposed by Joseph Kabila, the pawn in the game of Western sharks and vultures?

With all the negative press that M23 receives, it is difficult to know more about those who make it up but do not appear in the news. By that, one could mean all the foot soldiers keeping watch and getting ready to face the immediate ennemy in the form of FDLR, Kabila and Intenational community's protégés. I say this because FARDC are not true ennemies of M23, they were part of the same army. FARDC loyalist to Kabila prefer to endure his injustice and corruption while M23 fights both. There are more heros in and around M23 who do not make headlines. I mean the mothers of those young men and women who have chosen to take the struggle for freedom seriously and personally; their brothers and sisters who while missing them, struggle to support them, even though others might be afraid and secretely might want them back. I am interested in those mothers are as heroic as and more than their sons and daughters if one could count all it took the m to bring their children up and to make sure they grew up with sufficient love for the others that they could commit themselves to defending values that the DRC as a nation has lost from the time it ceased to be a nation through corrupt leadership. 

So let’s make room to talk about the women in and around M23. A couple of days ago, I saw an article on Fanette Rwagati, explaining what a combattant she is, working close to Gen. Makenga. http://congodrcnews.com/2013/06/24/major-fanette-rwagati-une-combattante-de-la-liberte/. 

I thought about Makenga who is known to his people and foes to be everything except corrupt and I couldn't help but wish that this Fanette Rwagati should be absolutely un-corrupt and un-corruptible. The closest collaborators of this general should be people of the old military style, men and women of honor and probity, above reproach. This is a tall order in an era where immorality and irresponsibility have become the norm of the day. If there is anything women must bring to M23 and to the cause of peace and development in the DRC it is the restoration of probity, hard work, sense of honor and dignity. If Fanette reads this, I'd like her to check herself and her sisters in and outside M23 jeshi on these values. If not, the cause could be compromised sooner or later.

Alongside with Fanette Rwagati, I'd have loved to see an article on Jeanne d'Arc Mihigo, who went too soon in that fatal accident of Hewa Bora in Kisangani. Jeanne d'Arc loved this cause and worked tirelessly for it. Above all she loved Bunia, her home, the way I love Mushaki may be! I met Jeanne d'Arc and shared with her the dream of peaceful Eastern DRC. We used to talk about the potential of creating and maintaining local manufacturing and processing plants to add value to export. She knew very well le Grand Nord, I know very well le Petit Nord. We worried about the financial strain of maintaining the Jeshi as long as the struggle lasted and we worried about what could happen if army officials got corrupt, which materialized when Ntaganda bitrayed Nkunda, etc... She soldiered on until her untimely death. 

I had not had the chance to meet other women around M23 such as Maitre Eugénie Mubake and Mama Zaituni. I don't know anything about the former, but about the latter, I know she is a mother of 9 children, has worked with General Nkunda in Bwiza, and could still be active in the immigration office at Bunagana. These and so many others we don't know are all champions of this great cause of freedom we are engaged in. There is no dictatorship that has survived the people's push for freedom, we keep our hopes and our heads high, for the future generations.